1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to cell phones or mobile phones. More particularly, the present invention relates to earpiece attachments for use with such phones. Additionally, the present invention relates to extendable earpieces that serve to position the cell phone a desired distance from the user's head.
2. Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 37 CFR 1.98.
Since the advent of cell phones, there has been a concern about possible brain damage resulting from the electromagnetic radiation emanating from the cell phones. Although the level of electromagnetic radiation may be relatively low, the antenna emitting such radiation will reside quite close to the brain. As such, there is concern that the radiation can have a cumulative effect. This could potentially result in brain cancer or other damaging effects.
When some cell phone are used for just a few minutes, they heat up to such a degree that they cause discomfort to the ear against which they are held. The movement of the phone away from the ear can serve to relieve this problem. However, moving the phone away from the ear can make it more difficult to hear from the speaker of the phone. Additionally, the holding of the phone away from the ear can be uncomfortable since there is no support for the arm and hand that is holding the phone.
Many persons have difficulty centering the speaker of the phone adjacent to the ear canal. When the speaker of the phone is offset from the ear canal, even by a few millimeters, it can be more difficult to hear. This is especially true with elderly users. These elderly users often have little experience with cell phones and, as such, they may not properly position the phone for optimal use.
Many persons find it difficult to hear the speaker of the phone. As such, they attempt to press the speaker closer and closer to the ear in an attempt to hear better. Unfortunately, as the speaker is moved closer to the ear, any contact between the surfaces of the ear and the speaker can further limit the amount of sound that is emitted from the phone. As such, a need is developed so as to provide an earpiece which assures the proper centering of the earpiece on the ear canal and enhances the sound emanating from the phone.
In the past, various patent and patent applications have been published relating to earpieces for use with cell phones. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,298,692, issued on Mar. 29, 1994 to Ikeda et al., shows an earpiece for insertion into an ear canal as part of an earphone, an ear-mounted microphone, and earphone/microphone combination, or the like. The earpiece comprises a body part suitable for housing an earphone transducer and/or a solid vibration pickup, and a canal insert joined to the body part. The canal insert has a generally elongated shape with a rear portion joined directly to the body part. A front portion is located away from the body part. A midportion extends by which the rear and the front portions are joined together. The front portion and midportion of the canal insert have their cross sectional dimensions determined in a predefined relationship to fit as closely as feasible in the ear canals of a majority of people. The earpiece may be provided with a stabilizer, in the form of a contact piece or pieces, projecting laterally therefrom so as to provide for greater stability against dislodgement from the ear canal or rotational displacement therein.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,254,621, issued on Aug. 28, 2012 to Silvestri et al., discloses a positioning and retaining structure for an in-ear earpiece. An outer leg and an inner leg are attached to each other at an attachment end and attached to a body of the earpiece at the other end. The outer leg lies in a plane. The positioning and retaining structure have a stiffness that is greater when force is applied to the attachment end in a counterclockwise direction in the plane of the outer leg than when force is applied to the attachment end in a clockwise direction in the plane of the outer leg. The positioning and retaining structure positions an earpiece in a user's ear and retains the earpiece in its position.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,374,375, issued on Feb. 12, 2013 to Z. Hu, discloses an earphone device having a main body to be inserted in the outer ear of a user. A conchal wall stabilizer extends from the main body and is adapted to engage the conchal wall of the ear. The conchal wall stabilizer is able to assume different positions in relation to the main body. The conchal wall stabilizer is a bi-stable mechanism which is movable from a first stable position via a dead point to a second stable position. A spring means biases the conchal wall stabilizer towards the first stable position when the conchal wall stabilizer is positioned on a first side of the dead point. The spring biases the conchal wall stabilizer to a second stable position when the conchal wall stabailzer is positioned on a second side of the dead point.
U.S. Patent Publication No. 2012/0314351, published on Dec. 13, 2012 to R. Kroupa, discloses an extendable and retractable earpiece or audio headset cable assembly for mobile phone. This rear edge has an audio output port having a mount attached to a portion of the mobile device, such as the battery access door or panel. An earpiece cable reel housing is removably connected to the mount. The mount includes a flange having an outwardly extending rim. The reel housing includes a slot that receives and engages the rim of the flange to removably attach the reel housing to the mount.
U.S. Patent Publication No. 2013/0043243, published on Feb. 21, 2013 to T. D. Shifferaw, shows a cell phone cradle that keeps a cell phone away from the head when it is held up to the ear. The cradle has a first end with a height corresponding to the thickness of the cell phone and a second end with a height substantially greater than the thickness of the cell phone. Tapered sides form an enclosure having an open top and a depth which increases from one end to the other. The cell phone is placed in the cradle with the speaker in the deeper end so that the cell phone is spaced away from the head when the open side of the enclosure is held against the head with the speaker opposite the ear.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an earpiece for use with a cell phone that avoids the effects of electromagnetic radiation on the brain of the user.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an earpiece for use with a cell phone that keeps the cell phone a safe distance away from the head.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an earpiece for use with a cell phone that facilitates the ability to center the speaker with respect to the ear canal.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an earpiece for use with a cell phone which can be retracted for purposes of stowage and which can be extended for use.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an earpiece for use with a cell phone that enhances the sound quality emitted from the speaker of the cell phone.
It is still further object of the present invention to provide an earpiece for use with a cell phone which is easy to use, and relatively inexpensive.
These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a reading of the attached specification and appended claims.